Syrupy Summer
by Eponine4
Summary: Hermione is at Ron's house for the summer, when the two are left alone for dinner, interesting things happen leaving a syrupy mess of mixed feelings... fluffy


Disclaimer: I own nothing  
  
Summary: Just a fluffy little fic that I got inspired to write because of the sun... GLORIOUS SUN!   
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Summer  
Ron sighed sucking the warm summer air in and holding it for a second before letting it back out again. It was perfect weather; warm enough to go swimming in the stream a little ways away from the burrow, but with a cool breeze. He glanced back at Hermione who was staying at the burrow for the summer (Harry was at Sirius').   
  
"Perfect weather," She said smiling, as if reading his thoughts. Ron nodded feeling infinite. He sat down at the picnic table set up in the back garden and let his head rest in his hands.   
  
"Do you miss them?" Ron asked suddenly, Hermione looked up giving him a questioning glance. "Your parents," He elaborated, "I mean, your away form them the whole school year, and then you beg them to let you spend the summer with me and my bloody family... Lord knows why..."   
  
"I like your family, that's why. And, well, sometimes, I guess. My parents and I were never very close; they were both always very busy running their own business. I don't think they were planning on having me anyways," She forced a smile, "I'd rather be out here in the country anyways." She said. Ron glanced at the table.   
  
"I'm sorry, that was kinda a... Personal question," Ron mumbled.   
  
"That's ok," Hermione muttered, "I mean, you are my best friend, friends are supposed to talk about that stuff, aren't they?"   
  
"Guess so," Ron said grinning at her. "So I'm your BEST friend?" Hermione felt her cheeks heating up; she broke off there eye contact and looked off into the distance.   
  
"Well, you and Harry are," She answered nonchalantly.   
  
"You and Harry are my best friends too," Ron said leaning forward on the table so that his elbows were in the middle, he watched her, she was less then a foot away, and she looked so nice. Long curly caramel colored hair flying around in the breeze.  
  
"Watcha guys doin'?" Ginny asked nearing the table.   
"Nothing," Ron said glancing at her lazily.   
  
"Just enjoying the nice weather," Hermione said turning her head to smile at Ginny. Her head turned back, but stopped halfway, her eyes locking with Ron's. Pure happiness shone all over his face and hers seemed to mirror it.   
  
"Well, Mum said that Dinner is on your own tonight, because Dad's still at work and so are the twins, and she and I are going shopping so... It'll just be the two of you," She got a sly look on her face before waving and running off back to the house glancing back at the two of them a few times before going inside.   
  
Ron could feel his face heating up and Hermione was staring at the empty space of table in between them.   
  
"I'm not good at cooking spells," Ron finally said after a second. Hermione laughed.   
  
"Well, I only know the muggle way," Hermione said the tension between them seeming to fade away into nothing.   
  
"The all mighty Hermione doesn't know any cooking spells?" Ron joked, Hermione hit him lightly on the shoulder, he grabbed her hand as she was pulling it away. They both stared at it as if it was something amazing.   
  
"Show me how to do it the muggle way," He said standing up and pulling her up too with the hand that he was still holding onto.   
  
"Well, I only know how to make a few things," Hermione said self-consciously.   
  
"Well then teach me how to make those things," Ron said squeezing her hand. She shrugged agreeing.   
  
The burrow seemed weird, being so quiet, no one running around, no explosions from the twin's room. Just nervous quietness that was somehow exciting. Hermione looked through the cupboard finding a strange arrangement of foreign items mixed with common ones.   
  
"What kind of food do you want?" She asked Ron shrugged behind her. She felt trapped in between the refrigerator and Ron, who was right behind her watching her every move.   
  
"Something... Sweet," He said. She giggled.   
  
"You've got a bad addiction to sweets," She said shaking her head. She looked over the items once more before pulling out bread, eggs, milk, and getting cinnamon from the pantry.   
"Ok, what are you making?" Ron asked interestedly.   
  
"French toast," Hermione said grinning and mixing the eggs, milk and cinnamon in a bowl.   
  
"That's what's in French toast? Weird," Ron said grinning. Hermione smiled.   
  
"Weird?"   
  
"Yeah, I always just sort of thought it was bread and syrup," Ron said. Hermione laughed.   
  
"Bread and syrup? You didn't notice any other flavors?"   
  
"Well, there was always so much syrup that I couldn't tell," Ron said shrugging.   
  
"Heat up the stove for me," Hermione instructed. Ron tapped the top of the stove and muttered a spell that lit it,   
  
"Purple fire?" Hermione asked.   
  
"Well, it's easier then green fire," Ron said shrugging, a grin playing at his lips. Hermione set a pan on the stove, dipped the bread in the egg/milk/cinnamon mixture and then dropped it in the pan with a sizzle. Then repeated several times until the large pan was full of sizzling toast.   
  
"So this is muggle cooking ay?" Ron said, impressed. Hermione nodded,  
  
"Yup, guess it is."   
  
"Fred and George would like it," Ron said glancing at the bowl of egg/milk/cinnamon mixture.   
  
"Why?" Hermione asked  
  
"Easier to get dirty the muggle way," Ron said taking the spoon out of the mixture and flinging some of it at her. Hermione gaped at him.   
  
"Ron!" she shouted indignantly. He grinned playfully. Hermione grabbed the bottle of syrup off the counter and opened it up.   
  
"Oh no Mione, not the syrup," Ron said as she raised it over his head and let it drip through his red hair onto his face. He stuck his tongue out catching some on his tongue and eating it. "Mmmm," He said grinning. He ran a hand through his syrup glazed hair and put his hand up to Hermione's cheek, he slowly ran his hand down her cheek to her chin, then up her other cheek around and down her nose, then pulled his hand a way and licked his fingers. Hermione made a high indignant sound before grabbing the bowl of batter and flinging the remains all over the front of his shirt.   
  
"Hermione, Hermione, what kind of manners are those?" He asked in a mock angry voice, "You had better apologize to poor, kind, innocent, incredibly good-looking, Ron," He joked.   
  
"Oh, I'm SO sorry," Hermione, said matching his tone.   
  
"That's ok," Ron said getting an impish grin on his syrupy face. "But I think the only thing that'll make it truly better is... A hug," He said spreading his arms out wide and advancing on her.   
  
"No!" Hermione squealed, feeling her back hit the wall. Ron bent down encircling her tightly in his egg and milk splattered arms. Hermione laughed feeling the batter seep into the material of her shirt.   
  
"I'm glad your having fun this summer," Ron whispered looking down at her.   
  
"I am too," She said. They stood there like that for a while, before Hermione remembered.   
  
"Oh! The toast," Ron let her go and she ran over, flipping the toast over, revealing the golden bottom side. "You go get cleaned up, it's almost done," Hermione said glancing back at Ron. He nodded going up to his bedroom. Hermione felt herself grinning and couldn't help it. This was the best summer ever.   
  
Ron came down a few minutes later making loud sounds of pleasure at the smell that had taken over the house.   
  
"Take the food outside to the picnic table, I'll be back in a second," Hermione said running up stairs to get changed. She pulled off her soiled shirt and shorts and pulled on a short white dress with blue flowers on it.   
  
Ron was sitting at the picnic table, pouring water in the glasses he had set by the plates, that he had piled with French toast. Hermione sat down across from Ron like they had sat earlier, feeling infinite.   
  
"This is really, really, good," Ron said between bites. Hermione grinned staring at his syrup-covered plate.   
  
"Glad you like it," She answered taking a bite of her own dinner.   
  
"You, erm, look nice too," Ron said wiping a strand of hair off her face.   
  
"So do you, for someone with maple syrup in your hair," Hermione said grinning.   
  
"Well, THAT was your fault," He said his eyes sparkling a blue that matched his shirt.   
  
"I didn't start it," Hermione argued.   
  
"You practically did," Ron said matter-of-factly.   
  
"How?" Hermione asked drawing her eyebrows together in thought.   
  
"By leaving your rich town life for my poor country life, I had to give you a good time," Ron said losing a little of the playfulness in his voice.   
  
"Well, you have been doing a VERY good job of giving me a good time," Hermione said locking eyes with Ron for a second. "I doubt I could give you one like this at my house," She muttered. Ron shrugged,   
  
"As long as I'm with you, I don't think I'd care much," Ron said softly. He glanced down at the table. "I didn't mean for it to come out like that," He mumbled sheepishly, his face turning a brilliant shade of red. "I just meant, I enjoy your company."   
  
"I enjoy yours too," Hermione said feeling her own face get red.   
  
"Ginny says... Well..."   
  
"What?" Hermione asked.   
  
"Well, she says when you fight as much as we do, and can still be best friends, then, you have... Uh, finished the worst part of... marriage," Ron muttered, "Isn't that funny?" Hermione nodded, but wasn't laughing. They looked at each other for a long time neither saying anything.   
  
"Look, the sun's setting," Hermione said finally breaking their eye contact and pointing to where the sky was turning progressively pink.   
  
"Maybe-" Ron broke in, before stopping and looking back at Hermione, "Maybe next year, we could spend the summer at your house... I could meet your parents," Ron said feeling his face heat up.   
  
'Your only sixteen Ron, don't rush into things,' His brain said responsibly.   
  
"That would be nice," Hermione said feeling suddenly shy.  
  
"What would be nice?" Ginny's voice asked. Both Ron and Hermione jumped at the sound of it.   
  
"Me washing my hair," Ron said quickly not looking at Hermione. Ginny narrowed her eyes.   
  
"That WOULD be nice, what did you get in it?" Ginny asked reaching out and touching Ron's hair with the very tip of her index finger.   
  
"Maple syrup," Ron said grinning at Hermione. She grinned back. Ginny looked between them getting a sly smile on her face.   
  
"Dumping maple syrup on one another, how very... Romantic," Ginny mumbled impishly. Ron shot her a look.   
  
"Goodnight GINNY," He said pointedly.   
  
"Sweet dreams," Ginny replied rising her eyebrows, turning and walking back to the house looking back at them with impish grins all the way. There was an awkward silence once Ginny was inside.   
  
"Well..." Hermione started. "Uh, I've got homework..."   
  
"No you don't," Ron stated matter-of-factly.   
  
"Uh.."   
  
"I think it's obvious, Gin thinks, you and I..." Ron trailed feeling less brave then he had seconds before.   
  
"Yeah..." Hermione said looking off into the distance again.   
  
"Hermione, I think, well, over these past years..."   
  
"What?"   
  
"I think I've... I think I've accidentally... Fallen for you," Ron swallowed hard wishing he could swallow the words back up and pretend he had never said them. The silence was long and nerve wrecking.   
  
"Oh." Hermione answered wondering what she should do. She wanted to fling herself at him and scream that she had felt the same way about him for years.   
  
"Well, I guess that sums it up," Ron said looking up at her with a wry look on his face. "I didn't mean to you know."   
  
"Ron, I never said that I didn't like you... That way," Hermione broke in.   
  
"Well, 'oh' certainly doesn't sound like it," Ron muttered getting up and pacing back and forth a few times.   
  
"Well, I wasn't expecting you to just SAY that, right out of nowhere!" Hermione shouted also getting up.   
  
"Well how should I have said it then, should I have warned you? 'By the way Hermione, I'm going to tell you something important now that I've been waiting to tell you for three bloody years!'" Ron shouted. "It doesn't even matter anymore, doesn't bloody matter! Because you know what? Your too, too, Oh, I don't know just TOO something for me!" Ron shouted stomping angrily towards the burrow.   
  
"Well, fine!" Hermione shouted. "But you should know I've fallen for you too you bloody prat!" Ron stopped cold.   
  
"Did you just say 'bloody?'" He asked turning and giving her a shocked look.   
  
"Boys are so blind," Hermione shouted throwing her hands up into the air.   
  
"What?" Ron asked, irritatedly.   
  
"Ron, I said I've fallen for you too! I've fallen for you too you idiot! Were you even listen-" She stopped feeling Ron's hand on the back of her shoulder, she turned around his eyes locking with hers immediately.   
  
"I just wanted to make sure I didn't dream that part," He said in a low voice.   
  
"Well, you didn't," Hermione replied plainly.   
  
"So then, you and I, we're....?"   
  
"Smitten with each other," Hermione said softly.   
  
"Alright then, just wanted to know where we stood," Ron replied in an official tone.   
  
"Well, now you do," Hermione muttered, they were quiet, staring at each other like that for a long time. Lighting bugs started flying lazily around overhead and around he two. "You know, you should wash your hair," Hermione finally said.   
  
"What?" Ron asked dumbfounded  
  
"Well, lighting bugs are landing in it," Hermione explained reaching a hand up and flicking one off the top of his head.   
  
"Christ Hermione," Ron muttered shaking his head.   
  
"What?" Hermione asked defensively.   
  
"We are really bad at this. We're going to ruin love forever, first we get into a whole bloody fight, and then the best thing you can think to say is 'wash your hair'?"   
  
"Love?" Hermione asked slowly.   
  
"Well, um, smitten is 'in love', isn't it?" Ron asked feeling himself blush.   
  
"No, it's slightly different, it's more like, and infatuation but not really love." Hermione explained in a know-it-all tone.   
  
"Oh, right, so then we're just going to ruin... Infatuations..."   
  
"Right," Hermione answered.   
  
"Ok then, so what exactly is the difference between an infatuation and being in l-"  
  
"Ron," Hermione broke in, "Just kiss me alright?" Ron's eyes widened   
  
"What?"   
  
"Well, this is stupid, neither of us know what to say and I think that maybe if you just kissed me, ImeanIthinkthat'swhatwe'resupposedtodo-" Hermione was cut off with Ron's lips pressing against hers and then quickly pulling away.   
  
"Was that better?" He asked. Hermione nodded, "Then I have something to tell you," Ron said apprehensively.   
  
"What?" Hermione asked.   
  
"Um, I don't think I'm smitten with you," Ron said. Hermione's reaction was fast, a look of pain and anger shot across her face.   
  
"Why- how could you-?"   
  
"Hermione, I think I'm in love with you." Hermione gaped at him, and then suddenly was kissing him.   
  
Summer. Perfectly lovely summer.   
  
  
~Fin 


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